Pneumatic dental press



R. W. CLAIRE PNEUMATIC DENTAL PRESS Filed June 15, 1953 March 26, 1957United )States PNEUMATIC DENTAL PRESS Robert W. Claire, Lafayette,Calif.

Application June 15, 1953, Serial No. 361,705

1 Claim. (Cl. 10U-266) This invention relates to pneumatic presses, andmore particularly to such presses which may be advantageously utilizedin the pressing of certain types of dentures and the like.

Heretofore, in the manufacture of certain types of acrylic bridges,dentures, and the like, the mold or flask containing this material wasplaced between vertically spaced members arranged for movement towardseach other so as to compress the ask therebetween. Conventionally, themovement of the members was eifected by means of a manually engageablelever or by screwing one member towards the other, and it will bereadily appreciated that the amount of compression resulting from suchmethods was to a large measure dependent solely upon the strength of theoperator or technician.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide asimple, inexpensive press having a lixed base member arranged to receivea dental ask and a vertically movable head selectively movable towardsand from said base member, in which a pneumatic force is utilized tocompress said flask between said head and base.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dental press of thecharacter described in which means are provided for rapidly returningthe movable head member to its uppermost or inoperative positionfollowing a pressing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the abovementioned type including means for accurately guiding the movable headalong its path of travel.

Still another object of the invention is to provide dental pressingequipment of the above character in which stop means are utilized foraccurately positioning the movable head member at the end of eachoperational cycle.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claim.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicatedby line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicatedby line 3 3 of Figure 2.

As hereinabove mentioned, the dental press of my invention isillustrated and described for use with air pressure, rather thanhydraulic pressure, for the reason that the average dental laboratory isusually equipped with a source of compressed air. However, it willbecome apparent as the description of my apparatus progresses, thathydraulic pressure could be used in connection with my apparatus.

The press includes a generally rectangular support stand 2,786,409Patented Mar. ze, 1957 Mice 6 having apertures 7 therein, by means ofwhich the entire press may be screwed or otherwise secured to a suitablework bench or table. A pair of lugs 8 extending vertically above stand 6for a relatively short distance provides a support for a fixed basemember 9, here shown as a flat rectangular plate, upon which a dentalask 12 is arranged to be supported. As is well known in the art, suchasks are utilized in the pressing of acrylic bridges, dentures and thelike, and normally, it is desirable to position such flasks on the presswith the ends of the flask extending beyond the respective pressingelements as indicated in Figure 1 of the drawing.

A vertically reciprocating head member 13 is positioned over the base 9,and as will be presently explained, such member is arranged for movementfrom an upper inoperative position as shown by solid lines in Figure 2to an operative position pressing down on the upper surface of flask 12,as indicated by the dot-dash representation of the head. Head member 13preferably includes a generally rectangular plate 14 and a centrallydisposed annular collar 16, the latter aifording means for connectingthe head to an actuating member as will be presently explained. It willbe further noted that the opposed ends of plate 14 are bifurcated, asindicated at 17, the grooves formed by such bifurcations being slidablyengaged by a pair of vertical posts 18 which extend upwardly from thebase plate 9. In this manner, the movable head member is positivelyguided during its vertical reciprocating movement.

Means are provided for imparting forceful downward movement to the head13, and as here shown, such means preferably include a lluid cylinder 21aligned with and supported by the posts 18 by brackets 22. Mounted forvertical sliding movement in the chamber 23 of the cylinder is a piston24, the latter having an axially extending piston rod 26 whose lower endpasses through an aperture 25 formed in the cylinder and which may bereceived in the previously mentioned collar 16 of the head member, andreleasably secured thereto by a set screw 27 or the like. Thus, as thepiston is forced downwardly in the cylinder, the head member willlikewise be positively urged towards the base 9. Adjacent the upper endof the cylinder, I provide a connection 28 by means of which compressedair may be introduced into the chamber 23 for forcing the pistondownwardly and operatively compressing the flask 12.

After the desired amount of compression force has been applied, -apressure relief valve 29 may be manually opened, permitting thecompressed air to be released from the upper portion of the chamber 13,`and a spring 31, operatively positioned between the lower end of thecylinder and the head 13, will forcibly return the head, piston rod andpiston to their uppermost positions. Desirably, an annular member 32 isprovided in the chamber 23 to dene a positive stop for the upperposition of the piston 24, such upper position naturally being disposedIbelow the relief valve opening. The spring 31 may 'be mounted in anydesired manner lto afford the foregoing results but I have preferred toillustrate t-he same as a tension spring having one end engaged with adepending lug 33 formed on the cylinder 21, and the other end engagedwith the piston rod 26 adjacent the lower end of the latter.

From the foregoing description, both the method of construction and the'mode of use of my apparatus should `be apparent. ln operation, it isIonly necessary for the operator lor technician to place the flask onthe lbase plate 9, open a suitable valve (not shown) to permitcompressed air to enter the cylinder and force the head memberdownwardly, and then open the relief valve, the spring 31 returning thehead member to its upper or in` operative position. This constructionwill permit large pressures to be imposed on the flasks with a minimumof elnzomtlie part nthesoperator, and its'simple construe- Atiomwill,permit,:an.econmtnicnl.installation,in auxyJ dental,

laboratory.

l claim: A dental press:v apparatus:comprising:a generally/freetangularzhorizontal. base member adapted to support4 dented lilsk,V 'zi-generallyrectangular horizon-talh'eadme1nb'erf overlying'l said 'base member,vertically disposed'fgnid rods, said headmembenhaving opposedlendvportions` olr 'bift'rreated'form slideablyengageafb-le witlxfsaidY guiderods;

zr vertically disposednid cylinder, means' on -stiid' guide rods'forsupportingfsaid yeyinclerin a vertieal'stationary position" overlying4and spaced from said"head'member,

said cylinder h'avin'g'a. ni'dl inletfat th'etop thereof and a. fluid'outletin a side portion thereof, a piston within said" withinsaidfcylinder suljaeent. said fluid voutlet limiting the npp'eipositionof Said piston, andspring means interposed betweenlsaidneylinderi.arrowhead-,member normally urging- .said `cylinder and having endsrespectively secured to said piston rod and the lower end of saidcylinder.

References Ctedsin the '.le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 359,995Thomas Dee. 30, 1884 474,401 Page et al May 10, 1892 633,665 SpauldingVSept." 26; 1899 697,287 Spanldinv.; Apr. 8, 1902 811,456 Thurston Ian.30, 1906 1,072,448 Grundstorm Sept. 9, 1913 1,822,285 Hagman Sept. 8,1931 1,868,935 Breneman uly 26, 1932 2,571,615 Romeo Oct. 16, 1951 .wTeri

